RobPlan 06-12-179 PLAN A And There’s No Plan B Dwight Robertson and Mark Vermilion Kingdom Building Ministries, 2006, 153 pp., ISBN 0-9788142-0-7

Dwight Robertson is founder and president of Kingdom Building Ministries, www.kbm.org, an organization that challenges, equips and mobilizes Christians to become Kingdom laborers. Mark Vermilion is vice president of communications. Through a series of true stories, Dwight helps us see how our lives can make a Kingdom difference. Here are some of the key thoughts. “God chose ordinary vessels. He validated weak and imperfect people who served Him in hidden places.” “And you know what? He still does.” “This book could powerfully reshape your thinking about the importance of your ministry service.” (13) “God has a Plan A for reaching the world, and it includes the involvement of every Christian.” (17) “When Jesus traveled from place to place, He was keenly aware of the needs of people around Him.” “He slowed down and saw their needs.” “When’s the last time you really saw the waitress who serves you at your favorite restaurant?” (20) “Have you ever personally felt like you were unseen and overlooked by others around you? How did it make you feel?” “Many others feel the same way as they live out their overlooked, unnoticed, and unseen lives.” (21) “And don’t just view your time with them as transactions—view them as interactions.” “He not only saw people, but He also stopped and served them—right where they were. Most of us don’t do a very good job at stopping to serve others. But Jesus did.” “He met people where they were and got involved in the pressing needs of their lives.” (22) “A laborer is a disciple in action.” “A laborer is an active minister.” ‘Laborers are ‘every-day, every-place ministers’…” (24) “And since laborers are God’s Plan A for reaching the world, that means you are God’s Plan A for reaching the world around you.” (25) “When the vast work of the Kingdom is done, it will have been accomplished by nameless, faceless people who did what they could, where they were….” (31) “Laborers are His first-round draft picks!” (32) “Have you discovered relational ministry opportunities that look like you?” (39) “Doesn’t it make sense that He wants your ministry expressions to be unique?” (40) “You can be wildly entrepreneurial and creative as you think about your life’s impact.” (41) “Being an active laborer in God’s Kingdom doesn’t make you miserable. It brings incredible joy!” (43) “It seems we’ve gotten good at tuning in the horizontal and tuning out the vertical.” (56) “Problem is, we’re so attached to our schedules and routines that we often see His promptings as interruptions rather than opportunities.” (57) “What could God set in motion through your daily acts of obedience?” (65) “We impress people from a distance, but we impact them up close.” (68) Being a laborer is “just hanging out with people, loving them, and sharing truth when you get the chance. Everyone can do that!” (69) “More time with fewer people equals a greater Kingdom investment.” (84) “People’s spiritual lives simply cannot be mass-produced.” (85) Your story may be the greatest tool you have in your ministry toolbox. “When it’s authentically shared in an up-close, relational way, it’s perhaps the most gripping and irrefutable evidence of God’s love that you can present to anyone.” (92) “Your story is powerful because it’s an expression of His story.” (93) “Sharing your own pain or weakness isn’t usually an easy way to do ministry. But it can allow you to quickly and deeply build life-giving relationships with others….” (96) “I’ve come to believe that this is one of the greatest challenges to God’s Plan A for reaching the world: spectators.” “The problem isn’t so much that there aren’t enough Christians. The problem is that there aren’t enough Christians who are willing to put their faith into action.” (103) “Having a fully functioning Body is critical to God’s Plan A for reaching the world.” (106) “The same power that raised Christ from the dead is at work within us!” “You’re not the source of the power. You’re the carrier. The conductor. The connector.” (113) “You can’t be a connector unless you touch the heart of god (the Power Source).” “That’s why I believe with all my heart that the greatest gift you’ll ever give the world is your intimacy with God.” (122) “The catch, of course, is that you can’t give what you don’t have.” (124) “God wants us to be up close to the lives of others because He wants to be up close to their lives.” (125) “The potential impact of one Kingdom laborer is powerful.” (131) “Each of our actions is like a small drop of water in a big lake, causing ripples that spread out in every direction. As small as these drops may seem, the reverberations are felt by people we don’t even know for years after we die.” (135) “Through you, He wants to impact the lives of people you don’t even know!” (137) “What could happen if most churches around the world equipped and commissioned their ‘attenders’ to be active Kingdom laborers?” “The Body of Christ is full of untapped potential.” (140) “The future of God’s Kingdom does not hinge on how big or great our buildings and programs are (as useful as they may be). The future of God’s Kingdom is in human resources.” “Because the church is made up of people, it has no boundaries.” (141) * * * * *